Background
The Indian food industry is now progressively moving forward towards immense development, expanding its commitment to world food trade each year. In India, this sector has developed as a high-development and high-benefit segment because of its colossal potential for immense expansion. The Indian food retail market is projected to arrive at Rs 61 lakh crore (US$ 894.98 billion) by 2020 (“Indian Food Industry”, 2016). The Indian food industry represents 32% of the nation's complete food market, one of the biggest enterprises in India and is positioned fifth as far as consumption, export, production and expected growth (“Indian Food Industry”, 2016).
Compulsive purchasing is a much-perceived marvel, especially when it comes to the food industry. However, marketers have given little regard for its provenance when compared to clinical psychologists and counsellors. To get a certain amod unt of clarity, marketers have now and again been denounced, not without some avocation, of not utilizing pursuasive shopping inclinations to gain substantial returns.
Habitual purchasing covers a scope of conditions from the benign to the neurotic. Seeing how, and without a doubt whether people move along a particular way from favorable to pathological, is critical to marketers in valuing the flow of buyer conduct (LeBel et.al, 2005). Consumption of comfort food has been associated with negative affect, especially in women (LeBel et.al, 2005). Portrayal of behavioural triggers, emotional triggers and experiences that are dominated by negative affect in women who compulsively consume comfort foods has been noticed (LeBel et.al, 2005). The underlying possibilities can be vast and many, giving researchers in this field arrays of exploration.
Rationale
Much of the research in compulsive buying behavior has focused on broad personality traits of women like in Excessive Eating and Compulsive Buying Behaviours in Women: An Empirical Pilot Study Examining Reward Sensitivity, Anxiety, Impulsivity, Self-Esteem and Social Desirability (Davenport et.al, 2012), Compulsive Buying: A Theoretical Framework (Workman et.al, 2010) etc. Such behavioural tendencies, from the understanding of the above-mentioned studies, have been seen more in women than men.
There have been certain papers attributed to geographical differences leading to differences in food habits as well, like in Neighborhood characteristics associated with the location of food stores and food service places (Morland et.al, 2002). But, there has been little or no research specifically addressing Gen-Y women and what social identity differences lead to variation in their compulsive comfort food buying choices.
With this particular research, I would like to explore and analyze the current collection of existing study, along with exploring habitual purchasing of confectionary Vs savoury by taking a gander at conduct and by looking at social identities like ethnicity and culture impacting impulsive purchasing.
This study will help understand the differences in Gen-Y women who belong to different ethnic or cultural groups, living in a multi-cultural society, and assess their compulsive comfort food buying choices. It shall also address any differences between them.
Marketers need to know and understand what runs in the shopper’s mind before, during and after a purchase. This study can benefit them by helping them position savoury and confectionary goods better and target Gen-Y women more efficiently. It will also help scale up marketing practices by understanding the implications of this study.
The research will also add great value to confectionary and savoury stores, companies, manufactures etc. in gaining perspective. Apart from that, similarities and differences, if any established, will help them plan out businesses more effectively for a better future.